This undated film image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Christian Bale as Batman in a scene from the action thriller "The Dark Knight Rises." (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, Ron Phillips)

Written by

Bill Goodykoontz
Gannett

The weight of expectations is heavy for "The Dark Knight Rises," more so than any movie in recent memory.

And while at times it strains a little, for the most part it shoulders the burden well. It's not just a big movie, it's a huge one, with massive set pieces, mind-teasing action scenes and the (more-than) occasional giant explosion. No one at the moment is better at executing those kinds of elements and still managing to keep the movie about the people in it than Christopher Nolan, who both directed and contributed to the screenplay.